Snow coaster device



Feb. 14, 1961 D. K. EATON 2,971,767

SNOW COASTER DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1960 INVENTOR. DONAL D K EATa/v UnitedStates Patent SNOW COASTER DEVICE Donald K. Eaton, 42 /2 E. 16th Ave,Eugene, Oreg.

Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 313

7 Claims. (Cl. 280-12) This invention relates to amusement devices, andmore particularly to a toboggan or snow coaster device of the saucertype.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved snowcoaster device which is simple in construction, which provides aspinning action as it slides down a slope, and which providesconsiderable entertainment and enjoyment for persons using same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved snow coasteror toboggan device of the saucer type which automatically provides aspinning action as it slides down a slope, said device being inexpensiveto fabricate, being durable in construction, and being relatively lightin weight, whereby it may be easily carried by children.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved snowcoaster or toboggan device of the circular type on Which a person maycoast down a snow slope, the device being provided with integralground-engaging means arranged to induce a rotary or spinning action ofthe device as it slides down the slope, thus enhancing the excitementproduced by the ride and providing a high degree of entertainment forthe occupant of the device, while being relatively safe to use and easyto control.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a child seated in a snow coasterdevice according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the snow coaster device illustrated inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken transverselythrough the radically corrugated portion of a modified form of snowcoaster device according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom View of a further modification of acoaster device according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4, 11generally designates a circular snow coaster device according to thepresent invention, adapted to be employed as a toboggan in sliding downa snow slope in the manner illustrated in Figure l.

The device 11 generally resembles a large saucer, being provided with anupwardly concave top surface adapted to receive and support a child orother passenger, for example, in a sitting position, as illustrated inFigure 1. The saucer-like body, shown at 12, is provided with aperipheral rib or bead 13, serving as a hand hold or grip for theoccupant. The convex bottom surface of the saucer-like body 12 isrelatively smooth except for the provision of a plurality of integral,spaced radial ratchetlike rib elements 14 defining respectivesubstantially vertiice cal radial shoulders 15. As shown in Figure 3,the rib elements taper smoothly in thickness in a circumferentialdirection, being thickest at the radial shoulders 15 and graduallydiminishing in thickness circumferentially, whereby they definesuccessive sector-shaped ratchet teeth whose radial shoulders 15 allface in the same direction of rotation and whose sloping surfaces, shownat 17, all face in the opposite direction of rotation. A shown in Figure4, the rib elements are preferably of radially outwardly increasingthickness, so that the rib element substantially merge with thespherical bottom surface of body 12 at the center thereof and are ofmaximum height adjacent the periphery of said body.

The radial rib elements may be molded integrally with the body 12, asshown in Figure 3, or may be formed by corrugating the body radially toform hollow, ratchet-like radial corrugations 18, as shown in Figure 5.Thus, in Figure 5, the radial corrugations 18 define vertical radialshoulders 15, all facing in the same direction of rotation.

The saucer-like body may be made of any suitable light durable material,such as molded plastic material, forexample, Fiberglas, polyethylene, orany other material providing a smooth outer surface.

In using the device, the occupant sits therein and allows the device toslide down a suitable snow slope, such as the slope 22 shown inFigure 1. As the device slides down the slope, the snow engages theradial shoulders 15 or 15', causing the device to spin, so that itrotates simultaneously with its downward motion. The amount of rotationmay be controlled to some extent by shifting the location of theoccupants body toward or away from the center of the device, since thiswill cause the main weight of the occupants body to be applied atdifferent regions along the radial shoulders 15 or 15', which vary inheight, as above explained, and which are therefore effective to developdifferent degrees of rotational torque on the device produced by thereaction of the compressed snow on the radial shoulders as the deviceslides down the slopes.

By suitably shifting his weight in the device, the occupant may not onlycause the coaster to rotate at a desired speed but also may, to someextent, control the direction of movement of the coaster device down theslope. In learning to maneuver and control the device, a person has anexcellent opportunity to develop his body coordination and muscularcontrol.

The ratchet-like rib elements on the bottom of the device may have anydesired lineal configuration, for example, may be arcuately curvedoutwardly from the central portion of the body of the device in agenerally spiral manner, as illustrated in Figure 6 at 14, whereby thespindeveloping shoulders, shown at 21, are outwardly convex in shape andact on the underlying compressed snow in a somewhat smoother manner thanthe straight radial shoulders 15 and 15 previously described.

While certain specific embodiments of a snow coaster device have beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive anoccupant and support the occupant for sliding movement down a slope, anda rib element on the bottom surface of said body extending outwardlyfrom the central portion thereof and terminating at said centralportion, said rib element being adapted to develop a reaction causingthe body to spin as it slides down the slope.

2. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive anoccupant and support the occupant for sliding movement down a slope, anda ratchet-like rib element on the bottom surface of said body providedwith a relatively steep shoulder extending outwardly from the centralportion of the bottom of the body, said rib element terminating at saidcentral portion and being adapted to develop a reaction causing the bodyto spin as it slides down the slope.

3. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receive anoccupant and support the occupant for sliding movement down a slope, anda ratchet-like rib element on the bottom surface of said body providedwith a relatively steep shoulder extending outwardly from the centralportion of the bottom of the body, said rib element terminating at saidcentral portion and being adapted to develop a reaction causing the bodyto spin as it slides down the slope, said rib element graduallyincreasing in height at said shoulder outwardly from said centralportionof the body.

4. A toboggan device comprising a generally circular saucer-like bodyadapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding movement down aslope, and a plurality of spaced ratchet-like rib elements on the bottomsurface of the body extending substantially radially outwardly from thecentral portion of the body and having relatively steep shoulderportions all facing in the same direction of rotation of said body.

5. A to'ooggan device comprising a generally circular saucer-like bodyadapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding-movement down aslope, and a plurality of spaced ratchet-like rib elements on the bottomsurface of the body extending outwardly from and substantially mergingat the central portion of the bottom surface of said body, said ribelements having relatively steep shoulders portions all facing inthesame direction of rotation of said body.

6. A toboggan device comprising a generally circular saucer-like bodyadapted to receive and support an occupant for sliding movement down aslope, and a plurality of spaced ratchet-like rib elements on the bottomsurface of the body extending outwardly from and substantially mergingat the central portion of the bottom surface of said body, said ribelements having relatively. steep shoulder portions all facing in thesame direction of rotation of said body, said rib elements graduallyincreasing in height at said shoulder portions from the central portionof the body toward the periphery thereof.

7. A toboggan device comprising a saucer-like body adapted to receiveand support an occupant for sliding movement down a slope, and aplurality of spaced ratchetlike rib elements on the bottom surface ofthe body,said rib elements extending outwardly from the central'portionof the body and having relatively steep shoulder portions on one-sidethereof, said shoulder portions all facing in the same direction ofrotation of said body.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

